TORONTO — Saorla Miller gave Halifax some hope with a game-tying goal in the 44th minute, but after ringing a second shot off the post 10 minutes later, Miller and the Tides’ couldn’t get any closer and their Northern Super League post-season dreams were crushed on Monday via a 1-1 draw with AFC Toronto. Kaylee Hunter gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute at BMO Field. Miller tied the game 16 minutes later, but the Tides — needing a regulation win to move ahead of the Vancouver Rise into the fourth and final playoff spot — couldn’t net the winner in a scoreless second half. The Tides, who finished the season with 29 points — seven wins, 10 losses and eight draws — had to settle for fifth place, two points back of the Rise. AFC Toronto could have finished second with a win in regulation, but instead had to settle for third with 39 points — 10 wins, six losses, nine draws — one point behind the second-place Ottawa Rapid, and six behind the league-leading Montreal Roses. The Calgary Wild finished last in the six-team circuit with 21 points and a 5-14-6 record. Toronto held a slight advantage in possession on Monday (52 per cent to 48), outshot the Tides 19-14 (6-4 on target) and took 12 of the game’s 19 corners. The playoffs get underway this weekend. Toronto hosts the Rapid on Saturday in the first game of their two-leg semifinal, while the Rise host the Roses on Sunday in their opening game of their semifinal. Aggregate goals across both legs will determine which teams advance to the NSL Final and compete for the Diana B. Matheson Cup. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 26, 2026.
